


Simple Gifts

by Altenprano



Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: F/M, Fluff, s1/s2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-25
Updated: 2014-06-25
Packaged: 2018-02-06 05:31:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1846117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Altenprano/pseuds/Altenprano
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mr. Bates surprises Anna with a special gift. Takes place during S1/S2 (basically some time before they're married and life is good). Pure Fluff!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Simple Gifts

**Author's Note:**

>   
>  This is a one-shot totally inspired by a little Headcanon I have about Anna and Mr. Bates's common interests. Enjoy!  
> I don't own Downton Abbey

Anna stared at the parcel before her, her brows drawn together in confusion as her gaze darted between it and Mr. Bates, trying to decipher the meaning of his gift. 

It had all been so sudden, his presentation of what appeared to be a gift. One moment they'd been as they usually were-- sitting across the table from each other in the servants' hall, sneaking glances at each other in between the movements of needle and thread or the strokes of a brush on one of His Lordship's hats-- and the next thing she knew, he'd placed a small parcel before her without so much as the creak of his chair. It had startled her, so much that she very nearly stuck herself with her needle, and she was at a loss for how to react. She'd received few gifts from her colleagues in her time here, being mostly a private person, and she knew for a fact that no one knew her birthday, not even Mr. Carson or Mrs. Hughes, so this was indeed a rare occurrence. 

"Go ahead, open it," Bates urged, a smile playing across his lips, lips she so often saw set in a silent, pensive line, lips she longed to kiss, just so she could say she knew what love felt like beyond the fluttering in her stomach and the giddy rhythm of her heart. 

_Now stop that, why don't you?_ she thought, setting down her needle and gently folding Lady Mary's dress on the table so it wouldn't slide as she pulled the paper wrapping away with nimble fingers. As the paper came away, her blue eyes widened at the sight of two slim volumes, both brand-new with a colored ribbon each inside the covers. Her heart lept in her chest, as quick and strong as a robin on the first day of spring, and she looked to Mr. Bates for some kind of explanation.

The valet grinned, as if her joy was above and beyond what he had expected. "Gwen told me you liked poetry," he explained.

She nodded, examining the books more closely now, taking a quick glance at the words within. Both were by authors she'd heard of but hadn't read-- Yeats and Dickinson-- but she could hardly wait for the day to end so she could immerse herself in their words. 

His smile broadened-- he was practically _beaming_ now-- and Anna realized how childish she must seem, to have such a reaction to his gesture, and how amusing it must be to him.

"Thank you, Mr. Bates," she said, setting the books aside and taking up her work once more, her lips curved into a smile as she finished up with the beading on Lady Mary's dress, crossing off another chore until the evening came and she could indulge herself with Mr. Bates's gift. She'd have to thank Gwen too, for letting slip the secret that the two had kept between them since they started sharing a room, and maybe she'd find a similar way to repay her friend in the future. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked! Please leave any comments/questions/concerns/dust bunnies if you have them, and once more, thanks so very much!


End file.
